Report of the Working Group on Spatial Fisheries Data (WGSFD). 11-13 September 2013, ICES Headquarters, Copenhagen.

• Main Author: ICES
• Format: Report
• Language: English
• Published: 2013
• Subjects: Faroe Islands; Greenland; Norway; Iceland
• Online Access: https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00371/48170/48284.pdf; https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00371/48170/

The Working Group on Spatial Fisheries Data (WGSFD) met at ICES, Headquarters, Copenhagen, from 11–13 September 2013. Participants came from Denmark, France, Germany, Latvia and UK (Northern Ireland, Scotland). Data from Denmark, Germany and UK where used in the analysis of spatial indicators, while data from France and Latvia were not ready to be uploaded. With this limited participation of five countries, WGSFD 2013 failed to produce meaningful quantitative indices for DCF indicators 5, 6 and 7 under ToR a. Under ToR a, WGSFD 2013 developed a workflow and delivered necessary specifications of DCF indicators 5, 6, and 7 (for indicators see Commission Decision 949/2008/EC). With regards to DCF indicator 6, WGSFD recommends to not apply the routines implemented in VMStools software package version 0.64 and following versions for which the function indicator refers to its coding at version 0.64. The proposed calculation of DCF indicator 6 is easily coded in either R or SAS and mapping examples are given. With regards to DCF indicator 7, WGSFD suggests to relate this indicator to habitat areas to indicate the amount of space untrawled on habitat level rather than for entire regions. In light of the OSPAR request regarding the mapping of fishing activities in all OSPAR regions, WGSFD extended its meeting for 2014 by 1 additional day to cover the expected workload. WGSFD intends to invite participants from Norway, Iceland, Faroe Islands and Greenland to share VMS and logbook data according to the adopted workflow to meet this request. WGSFD identified new developments in VMS analysis regarding tidal correction of vessel speed and interpolation procedures of VMS pings, which will be further monitored in 2014. WGSFD 2013 elected Josefine Egekvist a new Chair for the term 2014–2016.